Outlets
The term “outlet” herein denotes an electro-mechanical device, which facilitates easy, rapid connection and disconnection of external devices to and from wiring installed within a building. An outlet commonly has a fixed connection to the wiring, to and permits the easy connection of external devices as desired, commonly by means of an integrated connector in a faceplate. The outlet is normally mechanically attached to, or mounted in, a wall. Non-limiting examples of common outlets include: telephone outlets for connecting telephones and related devices; CATV outlets for connecting television sets, VCR's, and the like; outlets used as part of LAN wiring (a.k.a. structured wiring) and electrical outlets for connecting power to electrical appliances. The term “wall” herein denotes any interior or exterior surface of a building, including, but not limited to, ceilings and floors, in addition to vertical walls.
LAN Environment
FIG. 1 shows a typical prior art LAN environment 10. Such a network commonly uses 10BaseT or 100BaseTX Ethernet IEEE802.3 interfaces and topology, and features a hub 11 as a concentrating device, into which all devices are connected. Devices are connected to the hub 11 by data connectors 14a, 14b, and 14c, which are housed within network outlets 15a, 15b, and 15c respectively. Connections to the hub 11 are via cables 13a, 13b, and 13c respectively. Data connectors 14a, 14b, and 14c may be, for example, type RJ-45 connectors; and cables 13a, 13b, and 13c may be, for example, Category 5 cabling. Such configuration is described, for example, in EIT/TIA-568 and EIA/TIA-570. The data portion of network 10 uses data units (which may be computers) 7a, 7b, and 7c, which connect to network connectors 14a, 14b, and 14c via cables 16a, 16b, and 16c, respectively. A server 12 may also be connected to the hub 11, and can perform the external connection functionality, as well as other server functions as applied in the art.
Although FIG. 1 refers to the hub 11 as a concentrating device, it is to be understood that any type of device having multiple network interfaces and supporting a suitable connectivity can be used, non-limiting examples of which include shared hubs, switches (switched hubs), routers, and gateways. Hence, the term “hub” herein denotes any such device without limitation. Furthermore, network 10 can be a packet-based network, either in-building or distributed, such as a LAN or the Internet.
Home Networking
Most existing offices and some of the newly built buildings facilitate the network structure of network 10. However, implementing such a network in existing buildings typically requires installation of new wiring infrastructure. Such installation of new wiring may be impractical, expensive and hassle-oriented. As a result, many technologies (referred to as “no new wires” technologies) have been proposed in order to facilitate a LAN in a building without adding new wiring. Some of these techniques use existing wiring used also for other purposes such as telephone, electricity, cable television, and so forth. Doing so offers the advantage of being able to install such systems and networks without the additional and often substantial cost of installing separate wiring within the building. In order to facilitate multiple use of wiring within a building, specialized outlets are sometimes installed, which allow access to the wiring for multiple purposes. Home networking using existing telephone lines will be hereinafter described as an example.
Telephony Definitions and Background
The term “telephony” herein denotes in general any kind of telephone service, including analog and digital service, such as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN).
Analog telephony, popularly known as “Plain Old Telephone Service” (“POTS”) has been in existence for over 100 years, and is well-designed and well-engineered for the transmission and switching of voice signals in the 3-4 KHz portion (or “band”) of the audio spectrum. The familiar POTS network supports real-time, low-latency, high-reliability, moderate-fidelity voice telephony, and is capable of establishing a session between two end-points, each using an analog telephone set.
The terms “telephone”, “telephone set”, and “telephone device” herein denote any apparatus, without limitation, which can connect to a Public Switch Telephone Network (“PSTN”), including apparatus for both analog and digital telephony, non-limiting examples of which are analog telephones, digital telephones, facsimile (“fax”) machines, automatic telephone answering machines, voice modems, and data modems.
The terms “data unit”, “computer” and “personal computer” (“PC”) are used herein interchangeably to include workstations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and other data terminal equipment (DTE) with interfaces for connection to a local area network, as well as any other functional unit of a data station that serves as a data source or a data sink (or both).
In-home telephone service usually employs two or four wires, to which telephone sets are connected via telephone outlets.
Home Networking Over Telephone Lines
FIG. 2 shows the wiring configuration of a prior-art telephone system including a network 20 for a residence or other building, wired with a telephone line 5, which has a single wire pair that connects to a junction-box 34, which in turn connects to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 41 via a cable 33 (‘local loop’), terminating in a public switch 32, which establishes and enables telephony from one telephone to another. The term “high-frequency” herein denotes any frequency substantially above such analog telephony audio frequencies, such as that used for data. ISDN typically uses frequencies not exceeding 100 KHz (typically the energy is concentrated around 40 KHz). The term “telephone line” herein denotes electrically-conducting lines which are intended primarily for the carrying and distribution of analog telephony signals, and includes, but is not limited to, such electrically-conducting lines which may be pre-existing within a building and which may currently provide analog telephony service.
Junction box 34 separates the in-home circuitry from the PSTN and is used as a test facility for troubleshooting as well as for new wiring in the home. A plurality of telephones may connect to telephone lines 5 via a plurality of telephone outlets 35. Each outlet has a connector 36 (often referred to as a “jack”), commonly being in the form of RJ-11 connectors in North-America. Each outlet may be connected to a telephone unit via a compatible “plug” connector that inserts into the jack.
Wiring 5 is normally based on a serial or “daisy-chained” topology, wherein the wiring is connected from one outlet to the next in a linear manner; but other topologies such as star, tree, or any arbitrary topology may also be used. Regardless of the topology, however, the telephone wiring system within a residence always uses wired media: two or four copper wires terminating in one or more outlets which provide direct access to these wires for connecting to telephone sets.
It is often desirable to use existing telephone wiring simultaneously for both telephony and data networking. In this way, establishing a new local area network in a home or other building is simplified, because there is no need to install additional wiring.
The concept of frequency domain/division multiplexing (FDM) is well-known in the art, and provides means of splitting the bandwidth carried by a wire into a low-frequency band capable of carrying an analog telephony signal and a high-frequency band capable of carrying data communication or other signals. Such a mechanism is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,448 to Reichert et al. (hereinafter referred to as “Reichert”). Also widely used are xDSL systems, primarily Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL) systems.
Examples of relevant prior-art in this field are the technology commonly known as HomePNA (Home Phoneline Networking Alliance), WO 99/12330 to Foley and as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,443 to Dichter (hereinafter referred to as “Dichter”). Dichter and others suggest a method and apparatus for applying a frequency domain/division multiplexing (FDM) technique for residential telephone wiring, enabling the simultaneous carrying of telephony and data communication signals. The available bandwidth over the wiring is split into a low-frequency band capable of carrying an analog telephony signal, and a high-frequency band capable of carrying data communication signals. In such a mechanism, telephony is not affected, while a data communication capability is provided over existing telephone wiring within a home.
In addition to illustrating a residential telephone system, FIG. 2 also shows the arrangement of a Dichter/HomePNA network. Network 20 serves both analog telephones and provides a local area network of data units. Data units 7a, 7b and 7c are connected to the local area network via phonelines carrier (PNC) modems 64a, 64b and 64c, respectively. Examples of Data Communication Equipment include, but are not limited to, modems, line drivers, line receivers, and transceivers (the term “transceiver” herein denotes a combined transmitter and receiver), which enables data communication over the high spectrum of telephone line 5. PNC units (‘phoneline modems’) 64a, 64b and 64c are respectively connected to high pass filters (HPF) 38a, 38b and 38c, which allow access to the high-frequency band carried by telephone line 5. In order to avoid interference to the data network caused by the telephones, low pass filters (LPF's) 37a, 37b and 37c are added to isolate the POTS carrying band, so that telephones 22a, 22b and 22c connect to telephone line 5 respectively using cords 6a, 6b and 6c for providing PSTN. Furthermore, a low pass filter (not shown) may also be connected to Junction Box 34, in order to filter noise induced from or input to PSTN wiring 33.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,549,616 entitled “Telephone Outlet for implementing a Local Area Network Over Telephone Lines and a Local Area Network using such Outlets” by the present inventor and assigned to the present assignee, describes the integration of PNC modem 64, HPF 38, and LPF 37 components into outlets 35 in order to reduce complexity, as shown in FIG. 2. This allows direct connection of telephone sets 6a, 6b and 6c to the respective outlets 35a, 35b and 35c, via dedicated connectors (as is done in prior-art common telephone outlets), as well as direct and easy connection of data units 7a, 7b and 7c to the respective outlets via dedicated jacks, as is usually done in LAN systems (as shown in FIG. 1).
Similarly, a network in a house based on using powerline-based home network is also known in the art. The medium for networking is the in-house power lines, which is used for carrying both the mains power and the data communication signals. For the sake of simplicity, the power related functions are not shown in the Figure. A PLC modem converts data communication interface (such as Ethernet IEEE802.3) to a signal which can be carried over the power lines, without affecting and being affected by the power signal available over those wires. An example for such PLC modem is HomePlug1.0 based Ethernet-to-Powerline Bridge model DHP-100 from D-Link® Systems, Inc. of Irvine, Calif., USA.
Active Outlets
Outlets in general (to include LAN structured wiring, electrical power outlets, telephone outlets, and cable television outlets) have evolved as passive devices being part of the wiring system house infrastructure and solely serving the purpose of providing access to the in-wall wiring. However, there is a trend towards embedding active circuitry in the outlet in order to use them as part of the home/office network. In most cases, the circuits added serve the purpose of adding data interface connectivity to the outlet, added to its basic passive connectivity function. An example of home networking over coaxial cables using outlets is described in WO 02/065229 published 22 Aug. 2002 entitled: ‘Cableran Networking over Coaxial Cables’ to Cohen et al.
US20020060617A1 (Walbeck et al.) published May 23, 2002 and entitled “Modular power line network adapter” discloses a modular feed-though adapter that allows an electrical connection to a power line network adapter without “using up” an electrical outlet.
WO0143238A1 (Kurt et al.) published Jun. 14, 2001 and entitled “Assembly for transmitting information via a low-voltage power supply network” discloses a coupling device for connecting a data terminal to a low-voltage power supply network. The device includes a network connection in the form of a coupling power plug and a device connection in the form of a coupling socket, both of which are located in a housing. The coupling device also has a combined data/network connection, which is located at the end of a data/network cable leading from the housing. The coupling device is connected to the low-voltage power supply network by plugging the coupling power plug into a network socket. The data terminal is plugged into the coupling socket using its power plug and a modem is connected to the data/network connection.
In time, as the technology and environment change, a need to upgrade, modify or change the outlet functionalities, features and characteristics may arise. For example, the data interface may need to be upgraded to interconnect with new standards. In another example, the circuitry will need to be upgraded to support higher bandwidth. Similarly, management and Quality of Service (QoS) functionalities may need to be either introduced or upgraded. In yet another example, additional functionalities and interfaces may need to be added. In most cases, any such modification will require dismantling the existing outlet and installing a new one having the improved features. Such activity is cumbersome, expensive and will often require professional skill.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a method and system for allowing easy and simple upgrading of outlets, preferably without requiring professional installation.